Posted on: Monday 26 October 2020
Halloween is a fun time for many people who love getting creative carving out spooky pumpkins but did you realise that you can eat the insides of your pumpkins too?
During the last national lockdown research showed that we are becoming a nation of people who value food more and yet new research from sustainability charity Hubbub has revealed that 12.8m pumpkins bought for decoration during Halloween are likely to be left uneaten. That’s equal to 67% of UK families throwing away one pumpkin each!
The process of growing, making, distributing, storing and cooking our food uses loads of energy, fuel and water and this process generates 30% of the world’s CO₂e greenhouse gas levels.
Let’s change this and do something good for our planet and our pockets by creating some delicious food with our pumpkins and include it as part of our annual Halloween celebrations.
Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, pumpkins are very nutritious and worth saving from the bin.
Easy things for you to try:
Check out tips from Love Food Hate Waste on how to store your pumpkin and keep it fresher for longer. This will give you a bit more time to use it all up and enjoy this nutritious food.
- Cut the flesh into manageable chunks, wrap tightly and store it in the fridge. Ensure your fridge is at the right temperature - below 5°C.
- You can also freeze the flesh so that you can bake something at a later date. Mash or roast the pumpkin flesh before freezing and simply pop it in an airtight container or bag. Remember to add a label with what it is and the date you froze it.
Why not try making some delicious recipes with your pumpkins?